A tech firm from Cambridge has teamed up with a French company to develop the world’s first high-definition flexible fingerprint scanner.

FlexEnable, which specialises in organic, flexible, semi-conductors, has been working alongside ISORG, leaders in the field of organic photodetectors and large area image sensors in printed electronics.

Together they have produced the 500 DPI scanner, which is only 0.3 mm thick, bringing design and functional benefits to biometric applications.

As well as detecting fingerprints, the sensor can capture veins, providing a second level of security since each user’s finger vein pattern is unique and requires the user to be alive for positive detection. Moreover, the technology enables large area sensors that can detect five fingers allowing more information to be collected.

It can be curved an applied to any surface, and could unlock new applications such as wrap-around fingerprint sensors for mobile phones or car steering wheels.

Chuck Milligan, CEO of FlexEnable, said: “The development of a 500 dpi plastic fingerprint sensor represents a major breakthrough in the commercialisation of flexible fingerprint sensors, paving the way for FBI-certification of low cost and flexible fingerprint sensors over large areas.

"This will open the door to a wider range of applications including law enforcement, border control and high-security banking transactions. We are working with the whole supply chain to get this disruptive technology into products and welcome customers who are interested in integrating the sensor into their applications. “

The sensor is on show at the Biometrics 2016 exhibition, which takes place in London this week.